Anyway, one of this has recently been re-released: "Musashi" is based on the story of Miyamoto Musashi, a real-life legendary samurai swordsman as told in the 17th century text "The Book of Five Rings".
This is a 50 part (!!!!) series made by NHK: Japan's public broadcaster. It was filmed on video (which is a shame - it would have been gorgeous on film or DV) but the stories are surprisingly well-told, the characterizations good and there is plenty of action. I'm amused when in the middle of a fight someone dies, the fighting stops so they can say something profound and moving... and then it continues. The series also stars Beat Takeshi who is a very talented actor/director/author/comedian.
You can watch the series here. Get the most recent version (by nanashi). It has English subtitles:
http://d-addicts.com...e...w+all&sort=
This post has been edited by Toru-chan: 24 January 2009 - 09:25 PM